Marcus & Didyme
by alison94
Summary: Bella isn't who you thought she was. That much becomes clear when Alice comes to visit in New Moon. But who is she? And how does she know so much about vampires? Why do the Volturi know her name? Original pairings w/ mythical creatures.
1. Duty Calls

_A/N: This is just a story I found on my computer, with two chapters complete! I wrote it a long time ago, but I hope you like it! If it's confusing, don't worry! Everything will be explained later!_

**Chapter 1**

Keeping his eyes on mine, Jacob began to bend his face toward me. And I was still absolutely undecided.

The shrill ring of the phone made us both jump, but it did not break his focus. He took his hand from under my chin and reached over me to grab the receiver, but still held my face securely with the hand against my cheek. His dark eyes did not free mine. I was too muddled to react, even to take advantage of the distraction.

"Swan residence," Jacob said; his husky voice low and intense.

Someone answered, and Jacob altered in an instant. He straightened up, and his hand dropped from my face. His eyes went flat, his face blank, and I would have bet the measly remainder of my college fund that it was Alice.

I recovered myself and held my hand out for the phone. Jacob ignored me.

"He's not here," Jacob said, and the words were menacing.

There was some very short reply, a request for more information it seemed, because he added unwillingly, "He's at the funeral."

Then Jacob hung up the phone. "Filthy bloodsucker," he muttered under his breath. The face he turned back to me was the bitter mask again.

"Who did you just hang up on?" I gasped, infuriated. "In _my_ house and on _my_ phone?"

"Easy! He hung up on me!"

"He? Who was it?"

He sneered the title. "_Dr._ Carlisle Cullen."

"Why didn't you let me talk to him?"

"He didn't ask for you," Jacob said coldly. His face was smooth, expressionless, but his hands shook. "He asked where Charlie was and I told him. I don't think I broke any rules of etiquette."

"You listen to me, Jacob Black–"

But he obviously wasn't listening. He looked quickly over his shoulder, as if someone had called his name from the other room. His eyes went wide and his body stiff, then he started trembling. I listened too, automatically, but heard nothing.

"Bye, Bells," he spit out, and wheeled toward the front door.

I ran after him. "What is it?"

And then I ran into him, as he rocked back on his heels, cussing under his breath. He spun around, knocking me sideways. I bobbled and fell to the floor, my legs tangled with him.

"Shoot, ow!" I protested as he hurriedly jerked his legs fee one at a time.

I struggled to pull myself up as he darted for the back door; he suddenly froze again.

Alice stood motionless at the foot of the stairs.

"Bella," she choked.

I scrambled to my feet and lurched to her side. Her eyes were dazed and far away, her face drawn and whiter than bone. Her slim body trembled to an inner turmoil.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I cried. I put my hands on her face, trying to calm her down.

Her eyes focused on mine abruptly, wide with pain.

"Edward," was all she whispered.

My body reacted faster than my mind was able to catch up with the implications of her reply. I didn't at first understand why the room was spinning or where the low roar in my ears was coming from. My mind labored, unable to make sense of Alice's bleak face and how it could possibly relate to Edward, while my body was already swaying, seeking the relief of unconsciousness before the reality could hit me.

The stairway tilted at the oddest angle.

Jacob's furious voice was suddenly in my ear, hissing out a stream of profanities. I felt vague disapproval. His new friends were clearly a bad influence.

I was on the couch without understanding how I got there, and Jacob was still swearing. It felt like there was an earthquake – the couch was shaking under me.

"What did you do to her?" he demanded.

Alice ignored him. "Bella? Bella, snap out of it. We have to hurry."

"Stay back," Jacob warned.

"Calm down, Jacob Black," Alice ordered. "You don't want to do that so close to her."

"I don't think I'll have any problem keeping my focus," he retorted, but his voice sounded a little cooler.

"Alice?" My voice was weak. "What happened?" I asked, even though I didn't want to hear.

"I don't know," she suddenly wailed. "What is he thinking?"

I labored to pull myself up despite the dizziness. I realized it was Jacob's arm I was gripping for balance. He was the one shaking, not the couch.

Alice was pulling a small silver phone from her bag when my eyes relocated her. Her fingers dialed the numbers so fast they were a blur.

"Rose, I need to talk to Carlisle now." Her voice whipped through the words. "Fine, I'll call him at the hospital. Look, have you heard anything from Edward?"

Alice paused now, listening with an expression that grew more appalled every second. Her mouth opened into a little O of horror, and the phone shook in her hand.

"Why?" she gasped. "_Why_ would you do that, Rosalie?"

Whatever the answer was, it made her jaw tighten in anger. Her eyes flashed and narrowed.

"Well, you're wrong on both counts, though, Rosalie, so that would be a problem, don't you think?" she asked acidly. "Yes, that's right. She's absolutely fine – I was wrong… It's a long story… But you're wrong about that part; too, that's why I'm calling… Yes, that's exactly what I saw."

Alice's voice was very hard and her lips were pulled back from her teeth. "It's a bit late for that, Rose. Save your remorse for someone who believes it." Alice snapped the phone shut with a sharp twist of her fingers.

Her eyes were tortured as she turned to face me.

"Alice," I blurted out quickly. I couldn't let her speak yet. I needed a few more seconds before she spoke and her words destroyed what was left of my life. "Alice, Carlisle is back, though. He called just before…"

She stared at me blankly. "How long ago?" she asked in a hollow voice.

"Half a minute before you showed up."

"What did he say?" She was really focused now, waiting for my answer.

"He asked for Charlie, Jacob said, 'He's not here,' and when Carlisle asked where Charlie was, he said, 'At the funeral.'"

Alice moaned and sank to her knees.

"That wasn't Carlisle," she said hopelessly in a choked whisper, "It was Edward. He thinks you're dead."

My mind started to work again. These words weren't the ones I'd been afraid of, and the relief cleared my head.

"Rosalie told him I killed myself, didn't she?" I asked, sighing as I relaxed.

"Yes," Alice admitted, her eyes flashing had again. "In her defense, she did believe it. They rely on my sight far too much for something that works so imperfectly. But for her to track him down to tell him this! Didn't she realize… or care…?" Her voice faded away in horror.

"And when Edward called here, he thought Jacob meant my funeral," I realized. It stung to know how close I'd been, just inches away from his voice. My nails dug into Jacob's arm, but he didn't flinch.

Alice loosed at me strangely. "You're not upset," she whispered.

Why was she so panicked? Why was her face twisting now with pity and horror? What was it she had said to Rosalie on the phone just now? Something about what she'd seen… and Rosalie's remorse; Rosalie would never feel remorse for anything that happened to me. But if she hurt her family, hurt her brother…

"Bella," Alice whispered. "Edward won't call again. He believed her."

"I. Don't. Understand."

"He's going to Italy."

It took the length of one heartbeat for me to comprehend. And when I did, I was beyond mad, I was _furious_.

"NO!" The half-shrieked denial was so loud after the whispered words, it made us all jump. I felt the blood rushing to my face as I realized what she'd seen. "No! No, no, no! He can't! He can't do that!"

"He made up his mind as soon as your friend confirmed that it was too late to save you."

"But he… he _left_! He didn't want me anymore! What difference does it make now? He thought I would die sometime!" I prayed she didn't notice my slip.

She didn't seem to.

"I don't think he ever planned to outlive you by long," Alice said quietly.

"How _dare_ he!" I screamed. I was on my feet now, and Jacob rose uncertainly to put himself between Alice and me again.

"Oh, get out of the way, Jacob!" I elbowed my way around his trembling body with desperate impatience, my mind racing a mile-a-minute.

"Call Carlisle!" I ordered Alice, and she was too upset to question me. She dialed the number and handed me the phone.

"Alice?" he answered after a moment.

"Carlisle!" I said, relieved.

"Bella?" he asked, confused.

"Hi. We've got a problem. Edward's in Italy." I said quickly, faster than a human should have been able to. There was a pause on the other side before Carlisle sighed and responded.

"I should have just told him," he said.

"No," I disagreed, "_I_ should've told him, told everyone, right in the beginning. I just… I didn't want to drag you into my problems." He sighed again.

"You know what you have to do. I'm sorry Bells, but you're our only hope. Only you can save him, you know that."

"Yeah, I know. I was just hoping… there was some kind of alternative. But there isn't. Thanks, Carly. I'll have Eddie call you from Italy." I hung up, handing the phone back to Alice. Her mouth was open in shock, and her eyes were full of questions.

"Later." I promised, and she nodded. I ran upstairs at my almost-vampire speed, and punched the code into the keypad hidden on my wall. The secret panel slid open, and I rushed into the small closet, grabbing my special black duffel off the hook inside. I quickly went over to the small shelves. My two falchions went in the bag first, then my small handgun and several magazines of ammo. Everything was coated in venom, making it indestructible. I shoved handfuls of money in, and then zipped it shut. I grabbed the old, grey cloak off its hanger and took the shiny, blood red purse from its shelf. Then I turned around and dashed back downstairs.

Jacob and Alice were locked in some kind of confrontation in front of the open door, standing so far apart you wouldn't assume at first that they were having a conversation. Neither one seemed to notice my reappearance.

"You might control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to –" Jacob was furiously accusing her.

"Yes. You're right, dog." Alice was snarling, too. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind – they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."

"And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" he shouted.

"You think she'll be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?"

"We can handle the redhead."

"Then why is she still hunting?"

Jacob growled, and a shudder rippled through his torso.

"Stop that!" I shouted at both of them, wild with impatience and anxiety. "Argue when we get back, let's go!"

Alice turned for the car, disappearing in her haste. I hurried after her, but Jacob caught my arm with a shivering hand. "Please, Bella. I'm begging."

His dark eyes were glistening with tears. A lump filled my throat.

"Jake, I _have_ to –"

"You don't, though. You really don't. You could stay here with me. You could stay alive. For Charlie. For me."

The engine of Carlisle's Mercedes purred; the rhythm of the thrumming spiked when Alice revved it impatiently.

"I'll be fine, Jake. I promise." I gave him a quick hug, and then pulled away. "I'm sorry. Please, please, please take care of Charlie. I'll be back as soon as I can." Even though he wasn't my biological father, I still cared about Charlie.

I spun around and raced for the car. The door on the passenger side was open and waiting. I threw my duffel over the headrest carefully, and slid in, slamming the door behind me.

I turned back, but Jacob was nowhere in sight. As Alice stomped on the gas and – with the tires screeching like human screams – spun us around to face the road, I caught sight of a shred of white near the edge of the trees. A piece of a shoe.

_A/N__: So, how'd you like it? R & R, please!_


	2. St Marcus Day

_A/N__: This is where it begins to stray from the book more. I promise, it will get more original, but it starts like New Moon! I'll only say this once: I'm not Stephenie, and I own nothing, except Bella's alternate background, which will be explained later._

**Chapter 2**

I called ahead as Alice sped down the road to the airport. By the time we got there, the jet was waiting for us, ready to go. I could see the millions of questions in Alice's eyes, but she kept silent, and I was thankful. I didn't want to have to explain more than once.

As soon as we achieved liftoff, Alice called Jasper. After a few hours, I got out my own phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in over a century.

"Hello?" he answered, confused. Cell phones were rarely used in Volterra.

"Dem? It's Iz." I said, and Alice looked up, curious. She was still talking to Jasper, but quickly hung up and eagerly eavesdropped on my conversation.

"Iz? What's up?" he asked.

"Look, I know it's wrong for me to ask, but I need a favor."

"Shoot," he said.

"Edward Cullen is on his way with a slightly unusual request. I need you to convince them to say no." There was a pause.

"What's going on, Bells?"

"No time to explain. I'm on my way now, but if they say yes, I'll be too late. Please, Dem. You know I wouldn't ask after all these years if it wasn't important."

He sighed. "Fine, I'll do my best, but you owe me for this one, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'll buy ya a new car, how's that?"

"A red-and-black Bugatti Veyron and you're set." He said, and I smiled. Of course he'd go for the most expensive, 2nd fastest car there is. Although, I'd considered buying one myself at one point. It was a sweet car.

"Thanks, Dem. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"See ya!" he said, and hung up. I closed the phone, and looked out the window. We had a long ways to go.

"Dem?" Alice asked.

"An old friend," I replied evasively.

"Dem…" she mused, and then gasped, "Demetri? As in the _Volturi's _Demetri?"

I sighed, "Yeah." She seemed to get that I didn't want to talk about it, and we rode the rest of the way in silence. Since it was my private jet, we made no stops, just flew straight towards Italy.

It felt like seconds later when Alice shook my shoulder – I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep.

"Bella," she hissed, not bothering to keep her voice down since we were alone.

"What's wrong?"

Alice's eyed gleamed in the dim light.

"It's not wrong." She smiled fiercely. "It's right. They're deliberating, but I think you're call worked. They've decided to tell him no."

I was still groggy. "The Volturi?"

"Of course, Bella, keep up. I can see what they're going to say."

"Tell me."

"They're interested in him – they think his talent could be useful. They're going to offer him a place with them." Of course! That was just like Aro. He loved talent, and Edward would be a great addition to his growing collection.

"What will he say?" Please, Edward, please say no.

"I can't see that yet, but I'll bet it's colorful." She grinned again. "This is the first good news – the first break. They're intrigued; they truly don't want to destroy him – 'wasteful,' that's the word Aro will use – and that may be enough to force him to get creative. The longer he spends on his plans, the better for us."

It wasn't enough to make me hopeful, to make me feel the relief she obviously felt. There were still so many ways that we could be too late. Aro was known to change his mind, and he would do his best to make Edward join the guard. If I was too late, I would rip Aro's castle apart brick by brick.

I closed my eyes, and the next thing I knew, she was snapping the shade closed against the faint brightening in the eastern sky.

"What's happening?" I mumbled.

"They've told him no," she said quietly. I noticed at once that her enthusiasm was gone.

My voice choked in my throat with panic. "What's he going to do?"

"It was chaotic at first. I was only getting flickers; he was changing plans so quickly."

"Will there be enough time?" As I spoke, we began our descent.

"Probably, he's just going to walk out into the sun."

That would work; no human would forget the sight. Aro couldn't possibly allow it. I looked at the slightly gray glow that shone through the opened windows. "We'll be too late," I whispered, willing the plane to go faster.

"He's leaning toward the melodramatic. He'll choose the main plaza, under the clock tower, at noon."

The stewardess appeared then, telling us that we'd be landing soon. After assuring her that the flight was satisfactory, she left.

We got out and found that they'd gotten a car around for me. Alice's jaw dropped as she took in the bright yellow 911 Turbo Porsche. I quickly got in the driver's seat and took off. I had complained about Edward's driving because I was playing human, but in reality, I loved driving fast.

I weaved through the thick traffic, sliding through tiny spaces between cars.

"Did you see anything more?" I asked Alice.

"There's something going on," Alice muttered. "Some kind of festival. The streets are full of people and red flags."

"Oh, no." I said, realizing the irony.

"What?" she asked, worried.

"It's the nineteenth." She still looked lost, and I sighed. "Saint Marcus Day."

"Oh," she said, thinking the same thing I was. They would not appreciate Edward messing thing up for them on Saint Marcus Day. They would act quickly.

I kept my eyes on the winding road, and started to plan. I was good at this: putting my emotions aside and making the plan that would lead to success.

"Okay, he has to see me before you, before he moves into the light. You can sneak around from the side, if you want. Or you can head back, and we'll catch up to you." I said quickly, beginning the steep climb and honking as the cars became too close together to weave between.

We inched towards the city, until we saw a gate. No was being allowed to drive through.

"Bella," Alice whispered urgently.

"Grab my purse," I told her, and a second later it was in my lap. I was near the front of the line, and edged quickly around the man directing traffic. The next guard stepped into the middle of the road, and I angled the car carefully as I screeched to a halt, so that Alice was safely in the shade.

The man tapped on my window angrily, and I quickly rolled it down. I grabbed the small, plastic card out of my wallet and handed it to him. It was the pass that let me go where I wanted, when I wanted. He blinked in shock, then handed it back, letting us pass. Apparently, Aro hadn't revoked my clearance when I left, not expecting me to return willingly.

I drove erratically, earning looks and angry words from everyone. I took back roads and small paths to the main plaza, close to the clock tower. The crowd was too thick, and I stopped. I jumped out and started running grabbing my duffel from the back seat. I left the Porsche with Alice. I pushed my way through the crowd, running towards the huge clock tower.

I came to the middle of the plaza and jumped into the fountain, thrashing my way across and back into the crowd. They rapidly moved out of my way to avoid the icy water. The throng jostled around me, and I ran faster. I glanced up at the clock, a sense of hopelessness settling down around me. A deep, booming chime echoed through the square, and I started screaming as I ran.

"Edward!" I screamed pointlessly. The crowd was too loud, and my voice was breathless. But I couldn't stop screaming. I barreled through a circle of men, tall and wearing red blazers. The clock kept tolling, and I ignored the giggling kids and glaring adults as I hurled towards the clock tower.

I could see him now. And I could see that he couldn't see me.

It was really him, no hallucinations this time. And I realized that my delusions were more flawed than I'd realized; they'd never done him justice.

Edward stood, motionless as a statue, just a few feet from the mouth of the alley. His eyes were closed, the rings underneath them deep purple, his arms relaxed at his sides, his palms turned forward. His expression was very peaceful, like he was dreaming pleasant things. The marble skin of his chest was bare – there was a small pile of white fabric at his feet. The light reflecting from the pavement of the square gleamed dimly from his skin.

I'd never seen anything more beautiful in all the years I'd lived around vampires – even as I ran, gasping and screaming, I could appreciate that. And the last seven months meant nothing. And his words in the forest meant nothing. And it didn't matter if he didn't want me. I would never want anything but him, no matter how long I lived.

The clock tolled, and he took a large stride toward the light.

"No!" I screamed. "Edward, look at me!"

He wasn't listening. He smiled very slightly. He raised his foot to take the step that would put him directly in the path of the sun.

I slammed into him so hard that the force would have hurled me to the ground if his arms hadn't caught me and held me up. It knocked my breath out of me and snapped my head back.

His dark eyes opened slowly as the clock tolled again. He looked down at me with quiet surprise.

"Amazing," he said, his exquisite voice full of wonder, slightly amused. "Carlisle was right."

"Edward," I tried to gasp, but my voice had no sound. "You've got to get back into the shadows. You have to move!"

He seemed bemused. His hand brushed softly against my cheek. He didn't appear to notice that I was trying to force him back. I could have been pushing against the alley walls for all the progress I was making. The clock tolled, but he didn't react.

It was very strange, for I knew we were both in mortal danger. Still, in that instant, I felt _well_. Whole. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, the blood pulsing hot and fast though my veins. My lungs filled deep with the sweet scent that came off his skin. It was like there had never been any hole in my chest. I was perfect – not healed, but as if there had been no wound in the fist place. I tried to focus, push back my emotions and focus on the task at hand. We had to leave Volterra, now. But his voice crumbled all thoughts but the fact that he was alive. Nothing else mattered.

"I can't believe how quick it was. I didn't feel a thing – they're very good," he mused, closing his eyes again and pressing his lips against my hair. His voice was like honey and velvet. "_Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty_," he murmured, and I recognized the like spoken by Romeo in the tomb. The clock boomer out its final chime. "You smell just exactly the same as always," he went on. "So maybe this _is_ hell. I don't care. I'll take it."

"I'm not dead," I interrupted. I really didn't want to use my power against him, especially so close to so many people. "And neither are you! Please Edward, we have to move. They can't be far away!"

I struggled in his arms, and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"What was that?" he asked politely.

"We're not dead, not yet! But we have to get out of here before the Volturi –"

Comprehension flickered on his face as I spoke. Before I could finish, he suddenly yanked me away from the edge of the shadows, spinning me effortlessly so that my back was tight against the brick wall, and his back was to me as he faces away into the alley. His arms spread wide, protectively, in front of me. He had yet to notice my odd black outfit and my grey cloak, black duffel, and red purse.

I peeked under his arm to see two dark shaped detach themselves from the gloom.

"Greetings, gentlemen," Edward's voice was calm and pleasant, on the surface. "I don't think I'll be requiring your services today. I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters."

"Shall we take this conversation to a more appropriate venue?" a smooth, all-too-familiar voice whispered menacingly.

"I don't believe that will be necessary." Edward's voice was harder now. "I know your instructions, Felix. I haven't broken any rules." Ah, that was why the voice was familiar. Felix, he was a great guy, and my best friend. I hadn't seen him in over a century.

"Felix merely meant to point out the proximity of the sun," the other shadow said in a soothing tone that was also familiar. It was Dem. They were both concealed within smoky grey cloaks that reached to the ground and undulated in the wind. They were exactly the same as mine, only lighter. "Let us seek better cover."

"I'll be right behind you," Edward said dryly. "Bella, why don't you go back to the square and enjoy the festival?"

"No, bring the girl," Felix said, somehow injecting a leer into his whisper. Apparently he hadn't recognized me yet, or taken note of my cloak. They'd gotten lazy in my absence.

"I don't think so." The pretense of civility disappeared. Edward's voice was flat and icy. His weight shifter infinitesimally, and I could see that he was preparing to fight.

"No." I mouthed the word. There was no need to fight, as soon as I was recognized, they wouldn't dare force us to do a thing.

"Shhh," he murmured, only for me.

"Felix," Dem cautioned. "Not here." He turned to Edward. "Aro would simply like to speak with you again, if you have decided not to force our hand after all."

"Certainly," Edward agreed. "But the girl goes free."

"I'm afraid that's not possible," Dem said regretfully, and I suppressed a groan. Did _no one_ recognize me! "We have rules to obey."

"Then _I'm_ afraid that I'll be unable to accept Aro's invitation, Demetri."

"That's just fine," Felix purred. My eyes were adjusting to the deep shade, and I could see Felix's Emmett-like size.

"Aro will be disappointed," Demetri sighed.

"I'm sure he'll survive the letdown," Edward replied.

Felix and Dem stole closer toward the mouth of the alley, spreading out slightly so they could come at Edward from two sides. They meant to force him deeper into the alley, to avoid a scene. No reflected light found access to their skin; they were safe inside their cloaks.

Edward didn't move an inch. By protecting me, he would force me to reveal myself to my former brothers, which, though unavoidable, I was _not_ looking forward to. I tried to speak, but couldn't find my voice. I wanted to speak up, but I was afraid of Edward's reaction, knowing that I'd lied to him for so long.

Abruptly, Edward's head whipped around, toward the darkness of the winding alley, and Dem and Felix did the same, in response to a sound I could only faintly hear.

"Let's behave ourselves, shall we?" a lilting voice suggested. "There are ladies present."

Alice tripped lightly to Edward's side, her stance casual. She'd come. There was no hint of any underlying tension. She looked so tiny, so fragile. Her little arms swung like a child's.

Yet Dem and Felix both straightened up, and Felix's face soured. Like before, they didn't like even numbers, though they weren't counting me yet.

Dem shook his head. "Please, Edward, let's be reasonable," he said.

"Let's," Edward agreed. "And we'll leave quietly now, with no one the wiser."

Dem sighed in frustration. "At least let's discuss this more privately."

Edward's teeth came together audibly, and I felt for my shield. "No."

Felix smiled.

"Enough."

The voice was high, reedy, coming from behind us, and, unfortunately, also familiar. I peeked under Edward's arm to see a small shadow coming towards us; Jane. I was furious to see that her cloak was the same shade of grey as mine, saying that she'd taken my place among the guard. I tensed, glaring at her with hate. Felix and Dem relaxed immediately, and Edward dropped his arms in defeat.

"Jane," he sighed in recognition and resignation.

Alice folded her arms across her chest, her expression impassive.

"Follow me," Jane spoke again, her childish voice a monotone. She turned her back on us and drifter silently into the dark.

Felix gestured for us to go first, smirking. Alice walked after Jane at once. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and attempted to guide me along, but I refused to move. That was it, no more playtime. I couldn't hide myself any longer.

"No," I said, my voice strong and full of venom.

"What?" Felix was shocked, as was everyone else. What chance would a weak, human girl have against virtually indestructible vampires?

"Bella, come on." Edward said urgently, pulling me along, but I stepped away.

"I said," I began firmly, pulling back my hood, "no."

The three shadows that were Felix, Dem, and Jane gasped.

"Iz?" Felix breathed, almost inaudible.

"Felix. Dem didn't tell you I was coming?" I tried (and failed) to ignore the confused, hurt look in Edward's eyes, instead focusing on my former family.

"Isabella," Jane hissed, leaning into her hunting crouch. Edward tensed.

"Jane," I said calmly, but with a clear undercurrent of pure hatred. I too crouched forward. She didn't stand chance against me.

Dem quickly spoke up. "Guys!–err–Gals! Calm down! Just calm down. We can settle this peacefully," he said, warily eyeing the duffel I had half opened in my hands, "Aro just wants to talk, Iz, that's all, just talk, okay? No need to fight."

Jane sighed and relaxed, her piercing eyes never leaving mine. I, too, relaxed, but didn't put the duffel down.

"Come on, Dem, seriously? _Talk_? Aro doesn't _just talk_, you know that. If all he wanted was a little _chat_, he wouldn't be sending you guys halfway around the world hunting me down, would he?" I fumed, never loosing eye-contact with Jane.

"Please, Iz?" Felix pleaded, and my resolve wavered as I glanced over at him.

"I haven't seen my li'l sis in like a century. Please?" Dem added, "I'm sure everyone would love to see you, especially Marcus." I sighed, and they grinned, knowing they'd won.

"Two things," I said firmly, "Anyone who attacks Alice or Edward is dead. And I'd really rather not see Ren or S-San." No matter how many years it had been, it still hurt to say the name, and my stupid voice broke.

"Too bad," Jane growled, and Edward hissed. Felix looked at me guiltily.

"Um, Iz, I… Santy's always where Ren is, and, uh… Rennie's still…"

"Still Aro's little lap dog." I finished. He nodded warily.

"When is everyone going to realize that Aro's not the all-knowing, all-powerful, amazing ruler he thinks he is?" I growled, then relented and followed Jane down the sewage path I knew so well. Edward pulled me back into his arms, and Alice walked beside us, with Dem and Felix bringing up the rear.

"Well, Alice," Edward said conversationally as we walked, seeming to understand that now wasn't the time for a Spanish Inquisition. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."

"It was my mistake," Alice answered in the same tone. "It was my job to set it right."

"What happened?" His voice was polite, as if he were barely interested. I imagined this was due to the listening ears around us.

"It's a long story." Alice's eyes flickered toward me and away. "In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella's all about the extreme sports these days."

I flushed and turned my eyes straight ahead, looking after Jane. I could imagine what he was hearing in Alice's thoughts now. Near-drownings, stalking vampires, werewolf friends…

"Hm," Edward said curtly, and the casual tone of his voice was gone.

"Wait a minute!" Dem demanded from behind us, "Iz? My Iz, into extreme sports? Cliff diving?" The shock was evident in his voice. "I tried for decades to get her to do that kind of stuff with me!"

"'s different," I mumbled, ducking my head into Edward's chest. We were getting dangerously close to the subject that I desperately wanted to avoid. I'd already revealed myself as a liar. I didn't think now was _quite_ the time to mention Felix's little crush.

There was a loose curve to the alley, still slanting downward, so I didn't se the squared-off dead end coming until we reached the flat, windowless, brick face. Luckily, or unluckily, depending on how you look at it, I had walked this path many times before, so I knew where to go. I didn't hesitate, but with easy grace, slid down the drain hole in the street. I had to use my shield to land, for it was a long drop.

It was dim, but not black at the bottom. The light from the hole above provided a faint glow, reflecting wetly from the stones under my feet. The light vanished for a second, and then Alice and Edward were faint, white radiances beside me. Edward put his arms around me, holding me close to his side, and we walked swiftly forward. I wrapped both arms around his cold waist, and stumbled my way across he uneven stone surface. The sound of the heavy grate sliding over the drain hole behind us rang with metallic finality.

The dim light from the street was quickly lost in the gloom. The sound of my staggering footsteps echoed through the black space. There were no sounds other than my frantic heartbeat and my feet on the wet stones – except for once, when Dem sighed with fake, dramatic impatience from behind me. He knew I was purposely walking at a human speed.

Edward held me tightly. He reached his free hand across his body to hold my face, too, his smooth thumb tracing across my lips. Now and then, I felt his face press into my hair. I realized this was the only reunion we'd get until we left Volterra, and I clutched myself closer to him.

For now, it felt like he wanted me, and that was enough to offset the horror of willingly meeting Aro again. It was probably no more than guilt – the same guilt that compelled him to come here to die when he believed that it was his fault that I'd killed myself. But I felt his lips press silently against my forehead, and I didn't care what the motivation was. At least I could be with him again before revealing all that I'd hidden from him. That was better than anything I could ever ask for.

At the end of the tunnel was a grate – the iron bars were rusting, but thick as my arm. A small door made of thinner, interlaced bars was standing open, and the sight of it made me freeze for a moment. No! Not that room! Why, why, why did I let Dem convince me to come here? Then I remembered what I'd told Dem: If anyone attacked, they were dead. I took one arm from around Edward, and gripped my duffel, getting ready.

We stepped through the door, and I tensed, as did Edward.

_A/N__: R & R please!_


End file.
